Key Second Amendment Races, 2004

Here is
this year's installment of my biannual Second Amendment tip sheet. This
tip sheet provides the Second Amendment perspective on all Senate and
Gubernatorial races, and selected House races.

The
first rating is from the National Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund
website. The NRAPVF also provides ratings of
all state legislative and other races. For candidates who have equal grades, you
may want to check out the NRAPVF site to see if a candidate won the NRA
endorsement; typically the NRA endorses incumbents when two candidates are
equal.

The
second rating, for federal
races, is from Gun Owners of America.For some races where the NRA and GOA grades diverge significantly, I asked
the GOA for their explanation, and in a few cases obtained further clarification
from the NRA.

A "?"
or "NR" means that the candidate refused to answer the group's questionnaire. A
candidate who refused both the NRA and GOA questionnaires can usually be
considered a solid "F." An asterisk before a candidate's name means the
candidate is an incumbent. Much of the background information about districts
and candidates comes for the National Journal website, and from the Almanac
of American Politics.

Senate summary

Illinois
is certain to replace a mildly pro-gun Senator with a strongly anti-gun one.
There is a serious possibility that Alaska and Colorado may elect Democrats who
are much less supportive of the Second Amendment than their Republican
predecessors. Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina all have open seats with a
realistic chance of electing pro-gun Republicans to replace Democrats who
usually or always voted wrong on guns. South Dakota is the only state where an
incumbent anti-gun Democrat could be defeated.

So the
potential range of Senate results on election night for Second Amendment rights
ranges from -3 to +3. A result on the higher end would create a good possibility
of enacting legislation to prohibit abusive lawsuits against firearms
manufacturers.

Alabama

Polls
show incumbent Republican Senator Richard Shelby (A/C) faces an unexpectedly
close race against Democrat Wayne Sowell (A/B-). GOA gives Shelby a C because of
some bad votes in the 1999 post-Columbine frenzy. Since then, his votes have
been fine.

Alaska

Republican Senator Frank Murkowski, first elected in the 1980 Reagan landslide,
was always a reliable vote on Second Amendment issues, although never a leader.
In 2002, he was elected Governor, and appointed his daughter Lisa (*A/B-), a
state legislator, to fill the vacancy. Almost any other Republican could have
held the seat with ease, but the nepotism issue has put Murkowski in a very
close race against former two-term Democratic Governor Tony Knowles (B/NR). As
Governor, Knowles vetoed several pro-gun bills, but is now claiming to be a
Second Amendment supporter.

Arizona

Republican John McCain (*C/F-) posed as a strong Second Amendment during the
2000 Republican Presidential primaries. But in the next session of Congress, he
sponsored the McCain/Lieberman gun show
bill, which would
have given the federal government the administrative power to prohibit all gun
shows, and to register everyone who attends a gun show. And of course the
McCain/Feingold campaign finance law is the most extreme Congressional assault
on First Amendment rights since the Sedition Acts of the Woodrow Wilson and John
Adams administrations. McCain's Democratic opponent Stuart Starky (C/F) is no
better.

Arkansas

Democratic Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln (*D+/F) has abandoned her nominally
pro-gun stance from her days as a U.S. Representative. Then, she voted against
the 1994 Clinton ban on so-called "assault weapons," but was "on the bench" in
case her vote were needed to pass the gun ban. Republican challenger Jim Holt
(A/A) would be a major improvement for this pro-gun state which has a record of
electing anti-gun Democrats.

California

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer (*F/F--) has been a leader on the wrong side of
every gun issue--except for armed pilots, where she has been just a strong a
leader on the right side. She co-sponsored successful legislation to ensure that
cargo pilots can also be armed. She is challenged by Secretary of State Bill
Jones (D/NR).

District
20

Pathetically, California's gerrymandering means that only one of California's 53
House seats is competitive. In an open seat contest in the Central Valley
Republican Roy Ashburn (A/A) offers a clear contrast to Democrat Jim Costa
(F/D).

Colorado

Republican brewer Pete Coors (A/A-) has been taken rock-solid positions on all
gun issues. Democratic Attorney General Ken Salazar (D/D) was supportive of
Colorado's 2003 "shall issue" law for concealed handguns. But after the 1999
Columbine massacre, he was widely rumored to have made a deal with Governor Bill
Owens that if Owens would support some gun control, Salazar would not challenge
Owens for Governor in 2002. Owens did announce a five-point gun control program
which Salazar supported; all of the Owens-Salazar bills were defeated in the
state legislature. Owens and Salazar then teamed up to support a 2000 initiative
which imposed special restrictions on gun shows. Salazar's national ambitions
and strong ties to trial lawyers would probably pull him further in an anti-gun
position; he is, however, much less anti-gun than anyone else the Colorado
Democrats have nominated for U.S. Senate in the last twenty years--except for Ben
Nighthorse Campbell, who was first elected in 1992 as a Democrat.

District
3

Ken
Salazar's older brother John (A/NR) is running for an open seat covering western
and south-central Colorado. During his brief tenure in the legislature, he
compiled a perfect NRA voting record. His Republican opponent Greg Walcher (A/A)
also had a strong record in the legislature. But he left the legislature to
serve as Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources under
Governor Owens. There, he supported the Governor's 2002 "Referendum A" to float
billions of dollars of bonds for dam-building. The Referendum was defeated in a
landslide, and Walcher is paying the price from rural Colorado voters who feared
the referendum would send their water to support more urban sprawl around
Denver.

District
4

Covering
the eastern plains and the Colorado State University town of Fort Collins, the
fourth district has elected a succession of increasingly-conservative
Republicans: Bill Armstrong, Wayne Allard, Bob Schaffer, and now first-termer
Marilyn Musgrave (*A/A+). At the September 25 Gun Rights Policy Conference
outside Washington, D.C., Musgrave gave the keynote address, and was introduced
by the Wall Street Journal's John Fund as "the Margaret Thatcher of the
gun rights movement." Along with Virginian Virgil Goode, Musgrave founded the
congressional
Second Amendment Caucus.

She is
challenged by former Colorado State Senate President Stan Matsunaka (C/D-), whom
she defeated in 2002 when the seat was open. Matsunaka did not enter the 2004
race until this spring, perhaps tantalized by secret polling, and the prospect
of raising money from the large constituency which hates Musgrave for her
sponsorship of a constitutional amendment to prohibit gay marriage. In the
Colorado Senate, Matsunaka occasionally cast tactical pro-gun votes,
particularly when he eyed the possibility of running for Congress. But even at
his best, he is mediocre, whereas Musgrave is a Second Amendment star.

District
7

Republican Bob Beauprez (*A/B-) won this new open seat, which forms a crescent
west, north, and east of Denver, by a tiny margin in 2002. Beauprez's current
opponent is Dave Thomas (F/C-) the District Attorney of Jefferson County
(Colorado's most populous county). Thomas has a mixed record as D.A., the lowest
points being his participation in Jefferson County's cover-up of law enforcement
failures preceding the Columbine massacre, and his being duped by a couple who
invented a hate crime hoax as part of an ugly dispute with their neighbors.
GOA's Larry Pratt told me that Thomas's grade was the result of an internal
mistake, and Thomas's proper grade is F-.

Initiative #36

This
initiative would apportion Colorado's electoral votes, rather than making them
winner-take-all. As a result, Colorado would be a perpetual 5-4 or 4-5 state in
any race which was nationally competitive. Although there are reasonable
arguments for and against the initiative, the initiative purports to take effect
in the 2004 election. Changing the rules of the game while the game is in
progress is dirty politics, and this initiative is the brainchild of a Brazilian
zillionaire who lives in California. Colorado opponents of the initiative have
gotten a lot of mileage playing on Coloradans' view of California as the
birthplace of innumerable nutty ideas.

Connecticut

Democrat
Chris Dodd (*F/F-) is the son of Senator Thomas Dodd, sponsor of the odious Gun
Control Act of 1968, the foundation of modern federal gun laws. His opponent
Jack Orchulli (?/NR) gives no indication of being any better, and trails by over
40 points.

District
2

Republican Rob Simmons (*A/B) pulled off a major upset in the small towns of
eastern Connecticut when he defeated well-established incumbent Sam Gejdenson in
2000. Simmons' opponent is Jim Sullivan (C/NR).

Delaware

Governor
Ruth Ann Minner is a Democrat with an A rating from the NRA. Her pro-rights
stance is crucial in a state which is a perennial battleground in the state
legislature. Her Republican opponent William S. Lee (A-) is alright, but Miner
has the NRA endorsement.

Florida

The
retirement of anti-gun Senator Bob Graham offers a realistic chance of a pick-up
for Second Amendment rights. The race between Republican Mel Martinez (A/B) and
Democrat Betty Castor (F/NR) is very, very tight. As a Florida Education
Commissioner, Castor even opposed allowing the NRA's acclaimed
Eddie Eagle gun
safety program into the schools--although the Eddie Eagle curriculum is
apolitical, and simply teaches children that if they find a gun, "Stop! Don't
touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult."

District
2

In this
Tallahassee district, Democrat Allen Boyd (*A/C) faces Republican state
representative Bev Kilmer (A/A). Boyd is a leader of the
Blue Dogs, a collection of
conservative Democrats who play a constructive role in supporting traditional
Democratic values, and attempting to restrain the excesses of the party's
extremists from the Northeast and the Far West.

Animal
rights activists picket the annual Boyd Family Dove Hunt, which raises money for
charity. Boyd was the only Florida to vote for the Dingell Amendment in 1999,
which softened proposed restrictions on gun shows. Boyd's wrong votes are
McCain/Feingold, and two votes in 1999 against restoring Second Amendment rights
to citizens of the District of Columbia. Boyd did, however, vote in favor of
restoring D.C. rights in 2004.

District
13

Republican Katherine Harris (*A/C) is serving her first term, after her
distinguished service as Secretary of State in which she resisted Al Gore's
effort to steal the election. Her opponent in this Sarasota district is Jan
Schneider (F/F), whom Harris beat 55-45 in 2002. Although Harris had a weak
candidate questionnaire in 2002, her voting record in Congress has been fine.

Georgia

Retiring
Democrat Zell Miller was a pro-rights leader in Congress. His likely successor,
establishment Republican Johnny Isakson (A/B) has a good voting record, but no
record of leadership. His opponent, Denise Majette (F/F) deserves credit for
defeating pro-terrorist Cynthia McKinney in a 2002 House primary. Unfortunately,
Majette's decision to run for the Senate will allow the hate-mongering
anti-Semite McKinney to return to the House.

District
3

Democrat
freshman Jim Marshall (*A/A) used to teach business law at Mercer University Law
School, and beat Calder Clay (A/NR) 51-49. Clay is trying again this year.

District
12

Savannah
freshman Republican Max Burns (*A/A) was elected President of the Republican
freshman class. He faces John Barrow (C/NR) in this Democratic-leaning "higher
education district," so-named for its many colleges and universities.

Idaho

Mike
Crapo (*A/B) is co-chair of the Congressional Sportsman's Caucus, and is
unopposed for re-election.

Illinois

Nowhere
are the destructive results of the Bush determination to dominate the Republican
party more obvious than in Illinois. When the Republican Senate nominee dropped
out of the race after the Chicago Tribune publicized his divorce records,
the logical choice for a replacement was the man who finished second in the
Republican primary. But the Bush White House said "no," because the second-place
candidate opposes the Bush policy of de facto amnesty for illegal aliens.
So the Bush machine contrived the nomination of Republican Alan Keyes, a
carpetbagger from Maryland.

Keyes is
stellar on gun issues (A/A) and strongly articulates how the Second Amendment is
an essential safeguard against tyranny. But--like John Kerry--he is learning that
mean-spirited attacks on Mary Cheney are not very popular with moderate voters.
He may not even crack 30 percent, and he is dragging down Republicans all over
the state.

The next
Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama (F/F) proved at the Democratic National
Convention that he would be a much better spokesman for black Democrats than the
race-baiting hustlers Jesse Jackson and Al Charlatan. Unfortunately, Obama is an
anti-gun extremist. As a State Senator, Obama even voted against a bi-partisan
bill which would prohibit criminal prosecutions of people who used unlicensed
guns to lawfully defend their homes against violent felony invaders.

District
8

First
elected to Congress in 1969 from a district northwest of Chicago, Republican
Phil Crane (*A/A) has an impeccable pro-gun record--even voting against gun
control laws which have been authorized as an acceptable compromise by the NRA.
He beat Democrat Melissa Bean (F/F) 57-43 last time, and this time she hopes to
win. She will be helped by Obama's volunteers, whom he has sent to work for her.
Bean is also assisted by Chicago Representative Rahm Emanuel, formerly a White
House policy guru who was the brains behind the Clinton administration's war on
the Second Amendment.

Indiana

In the
early 1970s, Democratic Senator Birch Bayh sponsored legislation to ban most
handguns, by labeling them "Saturday Night Specials." His son Evan Bayh compiled
a generally pro-gun record as Governor, and was elected to the Senate--where he
quickly became a gun rights opponent (D-/F). Challenger Marvin Scott (A/A) has a
very long way to go in order to win.

The race
for Governor between Republican Mitch Daniels (A) and Democrat Joe Kernan(A) is
very close; Daniels has the NRA endorsement.

District
2

In this
South Bend district, Republican Chris Chocola (*A/A) is challenged by Joseph
Donnelly (A/NR).

District
8

This
southwestern Indiana district is known as "the bloody 8th" for its
extremely close races. Republican John Hostettler (*A/A+) defeated a 12-year
Democratic incumbent in 1994 by emphasizing gun rights. In 2000, Hostettler was
the lead sponsor of the "Gun
Owner Protection Act, "which prohibited federal contracting preferences for
companies which agreed to sign on to the Clinton anti-gun agenda. (The one
company that had capitulated to Clinton, Smith & Wesson, has since withdrawn
from the agreement.)

Hoestettler has also been a leader on restoring the Second Amendment rights of
citizens of the District of Columbia, and of the issue of armed pilots,
defeating efforts to allow only a small number of pilots to bear arms.

His race
this year is even tougher, because this spring, he accidentally left a handgun
in a briefcase which he brought to an airport, and
pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

Hostettler never has easy races, because he refuses to take PAC money, and is
often outspent by his opponents. His opponent Jon Jennings (?/NR) has raised
twice a much Hostettler. Jennings (who served as a Fellow in the Clinton White
House and a lobbyist in the Reno Department of Justice) remains coy on the gun
issue, but it is clear that Hostettler's defeat would be a major loss for Second
Amendment leadership in Congress.

District
9

Democrat
Baron Hill (*A/C) beat a strongly pro-gun Republican to win this southeastern
Indiana seat in 1998. Since then, he has kept the NRA happy, but been less
satisfactory to GOA. Challenger Mike Sodrel (A/A) pleases both groups.

Hill's
two wrong votes were in favor of McCain/Feingold, and against the amendment of
Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) which would have stated that the Second Amendment
is an individual right, and would have exempted Second Amendment groups from the
McCain-Feingold censorship.

Iowa

Charles
Grassley (*A /C) looks unbeatable against Arthur Small (F/C). Grassley took the
lead in successfully rolling back Clinton regulations which had attempted to
impose the federal Gun Control Act, which is supposed to cover only modern
firearms, on certain muzzle-loaders. Grassley has also been an outspoken critic
of federal law enforcement abuses, including Ruby Ridge. GOA lowered Grassley's
grade for the same reason they lowered the grade of Alabama's Richard Shelby.

District
1

Budget
Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (*A/C) represents this always-competitive district
in northeast Iowa, which voted 52% for Gore. He faces Bill Gluba (C/D). Like
Grassley, Nussle had several bad votes in 1999, and even voted then against the
restoration of rights to District of Columbia citizens. Since 1999, his voting
has been fine.

District
3

Democrat
Leonard Boswell (*A/C-) represents this central Iowa district. It too is
competitive, thanks to Iowa's non-partisan re-districting law, which should
become a national model. His challenger is Stan Thompson (A/A). Boswell's wrong
votes are the same Baron Hill's (Indiana 9). Polls show this race as close as
3%, partly because Boswell is breaking his term limits pledge.

Kansas

Covering
most of eastern Kansas except for Kansas City, this district is represented by
Republican Jim Ryun (*A/A), who in the 1965 was the first high-schooler to run a
four-minute mile. A Christian conservative, Ryun is in serious danger of losing
to Nancy Boyda (F/NR), who is following the strategy of Americans for Gun
Safety: claiming to be pro-gun, while supporting the usual litany of crackdowns
on law-abiding gun owners.

District
3

Representing Kansas City since 1998, Democrat Dennis Moore (*F/F) has compiled
an anti-gun record that makes him an extremist by Midwestern standards.
Republican Kris Kobach (A/A), formerly a White House Fellow, has a good chance
of winning an upset with an unorthodox strategy; he has concentrated on
motivating his base, and bringing in new voters, rather than shuffling towards
the center. Moore has demonstrated his scurrility by resurrecting
false
charges
that Larry Pratt (who heads Gun Owners of America and who supports Kobach) is a
racist--even though Pratt is married to a Panamanian and speaks Spanish at home!

Kentucky

The only
member of the Baseball Hall of Fame ever elected to Congress is Republican Jim
Bunning (E.R.A. 3.24, 224W-184L, 9 children, 32 grandchildren). Bunning (*A+/A-)
was expected to win re-election easily, but some people believe his 73 years of
age are showing, and Democrats are hoping that Daniel Mongiardo (A/NR) will be
the surprise of the year.

District
3

Louisville Republican Anne Northrup (*A/C-) improved a previously weak record on
guns in the last Congressional term. She faces Democrat Tony Miller (A/NR).
GOA's grade is based on her career performance, not the last term.

District
4

In a
northern Kentucky open seat, Democrat newspaper columnist Nick Clooney (F/NR)
faces Republican West Point graduate and Army Ranger Geoff Davis (A/A).

Louisiana

The
first round of the Senate contest takes place on November 2. If nobody wins 50%,
a run-off will be held in December. Republican David Vitter (A/A) holds a large
lead, but is not above the 50% threshold. His top opponents are Democrats Chris
John (A+/C) followed by John Kennedy (B-/NR).Lagging Democrats are
Arthur Morrell (F/D) of New Orleans, and Sam Melton (A/NR).

Republican Vitter hunts and fishes once in a while, but does not own any guns.
State Treasurer Chris John, however, is a lifelong outdoorsman, and
taunts Vitter: "I'll challenge him. From bow hunting to shotgun shooting to
duck calling, I'm the real sportsman in this race." Vitter does not dispute
John's sporting prowess, but argues that the best Second Amendment advocate is
not the man who will vote for John Kerry for President and Tom Daschle for
Majority Leader. Chris John's lower grade from GOA is based on his support of
McCain-Feingold, and an two votes which would have seriously weakened the armed
pilots program, although John did vote for the final bill.

Vitter
is polling in the high forties, while John and Kennedy are in the teens, vying
for the right to face Vitter in the second round. Some strategic pro-gun voters
may choose to support John, thus ensuring that the run-off will involve two
strongly pro-Second Amendment candidates.

District
3

From the
NRA perspective, this is a win-win-win-win-win-win situation in Democratic
southeast Louisiana. The Democrats are Charlie Melancon (A/A), Charmaine
Caccioppi (A/NR), and Damon Baldone (A/F). Republicans are Billy Tauzin III
(A/A-) son of retiring Congressman, Craig Romero (A/A), and Kevin Chiasson
(A/A-).

GOA
gives Baldone an "F" for supporting trigger locks, gun show restrictions, and
gun licensing in his questionnaire. NRA says that Baldone fill out its federal
candidate questionnaire perfectly, and suggests that GOA's questionnaire may not
have been sufficiently clear.

NRA also
points to State Rep. Baldone's 2003 votes for the Right To Hunt & Fish
Constitutional Amendment (see below), for the Right to Carry Reciprocity Bill
(so that Louisiana handgun carry licenses could be used on other states), and
against a "Gun-Free Parade Zone" bill in committee, which would have established
a large gun-free zone around all parades--even for people who were not attending
the parade.

In any
case, Baldone is unlikely to win this race, and will likely return to the
Louisiana Legislature where he will continue to vote pro-rights.

District
7

Along
with District 3, this southwestern district is the heart of Cajun Country. Five
candidates are vying to succeed Chris John, and two of them appear strong on gun
rights: Democrat Willie Mount (A/NR) and Republican Charles Boustany (A/A). The
other three would be big setback for the District: Democrats Don Cravins (C/NR)
and Malcolm Carriere (?/NR) and Republican David Thibodaux (?/NR).

Louisiana voters will also be asked to decide on a referendum to guarantee a
state
constitutional right to hunt, trap, and fish. The right is uncontroversial
in contemporary Louisiana, but no-one can predict whether the right will be
preserved a century from now, if the right does not have constitutional
protection.

Maryland

In 1992,
Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski (*F/F) smashed Alan Keyes 71-29 to win her
second term. Political junkies can bet on whether Barack Obama will exceed
Mikulski's trouncing of Keyes. Maryland Republican E.J. Pipkin (A/A) might best
Keyes' performance, but is not within winning range.

Minnesota

District
2

In the
suburbs south of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Republican John Kline (*A/A), a 25-year
Marine, beat anti-gun Bill Luther on the third try. Teresa Daly (D/NR) looks to
defeat the first-termer.

District
6

The
suburbs north of Minneapolis-St. Paul are represented by Republican Mark Kennedy
(*A/A-). He is opposed by Patter Wetterling (F/NR) a "child rights advocate" who
is backed by Movon.org and PeacePAC.

Missouri

Republican Kit Bond (*A/C) is safe against Nancy Farmer (F/F). His lower grade
from GOA has the same explanation as the same grade given Alabama Senator
Shelby.

Virulently anti-gun Governor Bob Holden lost the Democratic primary to anti-gun
Claire McCaskill (F). Her opponent is Republican Matt Blunt (A), and race is
very tight.

As
Attorney General, Democrat Jay Nixon (*D-) performed his duty by successfully
defending the state's new "shall issue" concealed handgun permit law against
lawsuits brought by gun prohibition advocates. But challenger Chris Byrd (A)
supports gun rights even when not required to do so by legal ethics.

And keep
an eye on State Senate District 15. Republican incumbent Mike Gibbons is slated
to become President Pro Tem of the Missouri Senate. In the last legislative
session, he changed his mind, and provided the decisive vote to over-ride the
Governor's veto, and create a law allowing law-abiding Missouri citizens to
obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun. His Democratic opponent Jeanne
Kirkton is a nurse and a passionate anti-gun advocate who is emphasizing the
concealed gun vote in her campaign.

Montana

In an
open race for Governor/Lt. Governor, Republicans Rob Brown (A) and Dave Lewis
(A-) are NRA-endorsed against Democrats Briah Schweitzer (A) and John C.
Bohlinger (C).

Nebraska

District
1

This
open seat includes Lincoln and much of eastern Nebraska. Republican Jeff
Fortenberry (A/NR) is up against Democrat Matt Connealy (D/F).

Nevada

As the
second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Harry Reid (*B/F) has often pleased
his caucus by voting for gun control. He was, however, a relatively early and
very important co-sponsor of legislation to prohibit abusive lawsuits against
firearms companies

Republican Richard Ziser (A/A) does not appear to be competitive.

New
Hampshire

Republican Senator Judd Gregg (*C/D-) was formerly pro-gun, but now rarely votes
for the Second Amendment when the issue is close. Opponent Doris "Granny D"
Haddock (F/NR) would not even do that. She gained national fame in 2000 for
walking over three thousand miles to draw attention to "campaign finance
reform," showing her to be the most athletic nonagenarian censorship advocate in
American history.

The more
important race for Second Amendment rights is the governor's where incumbent
Republican Craig R. Benson (*A+) holds a very slender lead over John Lynch (?).

New
Mexico

District
1

Albuquerque Congresswoman Heather Wilson (*A/B-) never has it easy in this very
even district, but the Republican and retired Air Force officer has held the
seat since 1998. State Senate president pro tem Richard Romero (F/F) fought very hard against concealed handgun
carry legislation for years. Wilson is not perfect; she voted against arming pilots and against the "Gun Owner Protection Act." (See Indiana 8). Nevertheless, the wide gap between
her and Romero makes this one of the top House races for gun rights.

New
York

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer (*F/F-), one of the most energetic gun
control advocates in Congress, is not seriously threatened by Howard Mills
(A/A).

District
27

This
open seat comprises 2/3 of Buffalo, plus some suburbs. Democrat Brian Higgins
(A/NR) and Republican Nancy Naples (A/NR) are both pro-rights.

District
29

In a
southwestern New York open seat, Republican State Senator Randy Kuhl (A/A) faces
Democrat Samara Barend (?/NR).

Recently, sealed records from Kuhl's 1994 divorce were illegally given to the
media. According to the court files, Kuhl's ex-wife alleged that "In
or about 1994, while the parties were hosting a dinner party at their home, the
defendant took out two shotguns and threatened to shoot plaintiff." Kuhl's
ex-wife denounced the "ugly politics" and the invasion of family privacy
perpetrated by the record thieves.

North
Carolina

Retiring
Senator John Edwards showed tactical brilliance by foregoing a very tough
re-election race so that he could make a bid for the national limelight.
Republican Richard Burr (A/A) offers one of the best chances for a pro-gun
pickup. He is neck and neck with Erskine Bowles (C-/F), Bill Clinton's former
Chief of Staff.

In the
governor's race, incumbent Democrat Mike Easley (A) has a solid lead over
Patrick Ballantine (A).

District
11

Republican Charles Taylor (A/A) has represented the independent and mountainous
west of the state since 1990. He has a very close race with Buncombe County
Commissioner Patsy Keever (?/NR).

North
Dakota

Republican Governor John Hoeven (*A+) is NRA-endorsed against Joseph Satrom (A).
Some hunters are angry with Hoeven for not increasing restrictions on
non-resident waterfowl hunters, and for changing the pheasant season. The
Lewis and Clark Wildlife Club counters that Hoeven has more than tripled the
amount of private land available for hunting.

In no
state of the union is the congressional delegation so far out of step with
popular sentiment about gun rights as in North Dakota. Unfortunately, Democrat
Senator Byron Dorgan (*D+) is expected to beat Mike Liffrig (A). Dorgan has been
getting negative attention for his brief appearances in Michael Moore's
fraudulent "Fahrenheit
9/11."Although Dorgan did not have editorial control over the movie, his
choice to appear in a film by a well-known
anti-American
enemy of the Second Amendment revealed extremely poor judgment.

In the at-large U.S. House seat, Democratic Representative Earl Pomeroy (*C/F)
won only 52-48 last time, and this year faces Duane Sand (A/A), who may benefit
from Bush's landslide. Observers agree that the race is very tight.

Ohio

When
George Voinovich (*D/D) was Mayor of Cleveland and Governor of Ohio, he was
hostile to the Second Amendment, and has remained consistent in the Senate.
Opponent Eric Fingerhut (F/F) is far worse, an impassioned anti-gun advocate,
more extreme than even Charles Schumer (who sometimes acknowledges an individual
Second Amendment right).

Oklahoma

In this
open seat race, Republican Tom Coburn (A/A+) and Democrat Brad Carson (A/B) will
go down to the wire. GOA downgrades Carson because of his support for
McCain-Feingold, and adds, "Even if both had the same voting records, the
difference on the leadership issue means Coburn has to be the pick, hands down."

Oregon

Democrat
Senator Ron Wyden (*F/F) has a huge lead over Al King (A/B).

District
5

In the
Willamette Valley, Democrat incumbent Darlene Hooley (*F/F) has a clear stance
on the gun issue. But why did GOA give challenger Jim Zupanic (C/A) a much
better grade than NRA did? Larry Pratt explained to me, "We wuz lied to. We went
over Zupancic's questionnaire with him personally. We only learned of his
deception after the grades were in print."

Pennsylvania

First
elected in 1980, Republican Arlen Specter (*A/C-) is likely the next Chairman of
the Judiciary Committee. Should Specter lose and the Republicans retain the
Senate, the next Chairman would probably be the much more reliably pro-gun Jon
Kyl or Charles Grassley. Although Specter's record on guns is uneven, he votes
right more than he votes wrong, and was a leader in investigating federal law
enforcement abuses at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, when an FBI sniper shot an unarmed
mother. Specter's opponent, Joseph Hoeffel (F/F-), is a darling of the Brady
Campaign, and has recently closed the race to single digits.

An open
seat in suburban Bucks County, which leans slightly Democratic, is attracting
national attention. Republican Michael Fitzpatrick (A/NR) is a social
conservative. His opponent Virginia Schrader (D/F) has aligned herself with
anti-American hate propagandist Michael Moore, by holding a
screening of "Fahrenheit 9/11" as a fund-raiser.

District
15

Pat
Toomey's old seat is now open, and the district gives neither side a partisan
advantage. Democrat Joe Driscoll (D/F) vies with Republican Charles Dent (A-/C).

South
Carolina

The race
to replace retiring anti-gun Fritz Hollings was supposed to be an easy win for
Jim DeMint (A/A). But the race has closed. Democrat Inez Tenenbaum (C/NR)
purports to be pro-gun, but opposes restrictions on abusive lawsuits organized
by the gun prohibition lobbies, supports prohibition of various self-loading
firearms, and supports special restrictions on gun shows.

South
Dakota

Long,
long ago, Democrat Tom Daschle (*F+/F) was pro-gun, until he began to climb the
Senate leadership ladder. Facing a difficult race against Tom Thune (A/B), he
feinted in the pro-gun direction, by co-sponsoring a bill to against abusive
anti-gun lawsuits. But on the floor of the Senate, he sabotaged it by supporting
anti-gun amendments, and refusing to allow the bill to go to Conference, unless
the anti-gun amendments would remain in place.

Democrat
Stephanie Herseth (*A/NR) won a special election for the at-large House seat
earlier this year. Her opponent is Larry Diedrich (A/B).

Tennessee

District
4

Rural
central Tennessee is represented by Democrat Lincoln Davis (*A/A). Davis grew up
on the family farm which had been bought from Sergeant Alvin York, the
gun-wielding heroic American sharpshooter of World War One. He is endorsed by
the NRA, and has vowed that no opponent will "out-gun me, out-pray me, or
out-family me." He will not even say if he supports John Kerry. Last election,
Davis beat self-described "pistol-packin' mama" Janice Bowling (A/A) by 52-46,
and they are having a re-match.

Texas

District
1

First
elected to this Texarkana district in 1996, Democrat Max Sandlin (*A/C) faces
Republican Louie Gohmert (A/A). GOA downgrades him for supporting
McCain-Feingold and opposing the Pickering Amendment. (See Indiana 9.)

District
2

On the
Gulf Coast, Democrat incumbent Nick Lampson (*A/C) is challenged by Ted Poe
(A/A). His C from GOA is for the same reasons as Max Sandlin in Texas 1.

District
17

First
elected in 1990 to this central Texas district which includes Waco and Crawford,
Texas, Democrat Chet Edwards (*C-/F) occasionally votes pro-rights, but not
usually. He faces Republican Arlene Wohlgemuth (A/A).

District
19

This is
one of the new districts created by the Republican gerrymander. Democrat
Representative Charlie Stenholm (*A/C), first elected in 1978, has an excellent
record on guns, but gets downgraded by GOA for his vote in favor of
McCain-Feingold and against the Pickering Amendment (explained in Indiana 9).
Republican Representative Randy Neugebauer (*A/A) leads in the polls in a
district that may vote Republican for President by 3:1.

District
32

This new
gerrymandered seat around north Dallas pits Republican incumbent Pete Sessions
(*A/A) against Democrat incumbent Martin Frost (*F/F), who has served since
1978. The former has a solid pro-gun record, even though his father, William
Sessions, finished a very poor career as FBI Director by pandering to Clinton
administration gun control. Frost is so anti-gun that he even voted against
armed pilots. Sessions has a modest but hardly insurmountable polling lead.

Utah

Incumbent Republican Senator Robert Bennett (*A/D) is secure against Paul van
Dam (?/NR). Bennett would have gotten a C from GOA for the same reasons as
Richard Shelby (Alabama), but this year he voted for a mandatory trigger lock
proposal.

Currently, the University of Utah is defying state law which authorizes
licensed, trained adults to carry handguns for lawful protection on public
college campuses and other public schools. The sensible legislative decision
ensures that schools will not be safe zones for criminals, who could perpetrate
violent crimes in the secure knowledge that none of their law-abiding victims
would be able to protect themselves. Huntsman, however, argues that school
boards and college trustees should be allowed to ban guns on campus. But he also
told the Salt Lake Tribune editorial board that he "would not spend a
great deal of political capital early" in trying to change the law.

Democrat
Scott Matheson is the former dean of the University of Utah Law School, and he
flatly states that guns should be forbidden in schools and churches.

District
2

Covering
half of Salt Lake City and much of rural Utah, this district was designed to
prevent the election of a Democrat. But Democrat Jim Matheson (*A/C) won in
2002, and has a huge polling lead over John Swallow (A/A). Matheson loses points
from GOA for the same reason as does Charles Stenholm (Texas 29).

Vermont

This is
another state with a Congressional delegation far more supportive of federal gun
control than the state's political culture would suggest. First elected in 1986,
Democratic Senator Pat Leahy (*D/F) has been a disappointment on Second
Amendment rights, although he occasionally votes right, and is sometimes a
leader on other civil liberties issues. Republican Jack McMullen (?/NR) might
well be worse.

Virginia

Representing the D.C. suburbs, Democrat Jim Moran (*F/F-) has been an effective
anti-gun leader, especially on the Appropriations Committee. His challenger is
Lisa Cheney (?/NR).

District
9

This far
southwest district is called "fighting ninth" for its many close races.
Incumbent Democrat Rich Boucher (*A+/A-) faces Kevin Triplett (A/A), a former
NASCAR official.

Washington

Incumbent Democrat dimwit Patty Murray (*F/F) appears to be fending off a
challenge from Republican George Nethercutt (A/A-) who beat Rep. Tom Foley in
1994 by using the term limits issue, but then broke his own term limit pledge in
2000.

Retiring
Governor Gary Locke was very anti-gun. His successor will be Republican Dino
Rossi (A) or Democrat Christine Gregoire (?). Gregoire leads in the polls, but
Rossi is within striking distance.

District
5

Centered
on Spokane, this eastern Washington district was represented by Democrat Tom
Foley until 1994. Foley had been a pro-gun powerhouse for many years, until Bill
Clinton was elected, and Foley switched sides. As Speaker of the House, Foley
illegally extended the time period for the vote on the "assault weapons" ban
until enough Democrats could be found to vote for the ban. The "assault weapon"
ban cost the Democrats the House of Representatives, as Bill Clinton has twice
acknowledged. The ban also cost Foley his own seat; his wife stated that the gun
issue lost Foley 10% of the vote.

With
George Nethercutt running for Senate, the seat is open for the first time in
decades. Republican Cathy McMorris (A/A) has a good lead over Democrat Don
Barbieri (F/NR).

District
8

East of
Seattle are thriving towns such as Bellevue, home of the
Second Amendment Foundation. Republican Dave
Reichert (B-/NR), the King County Sheriff, faces Democrat Dave Ross (F/F), a
radio talk show host who is leading.

West
Virginia

Wisconsin

Two-term
Democratic Senator Russ Feingold (*D/F) occasionally votes pro-gun, and has
always believed the Second Amendment is an individual right. In 2004, he
reversed his earlier position, and opposed renewal of the ban on so-called
"assault weapons." His courageous and solitary vote against the Patriot Act
contrasts with his leadership on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill,
perhaps the most far-reaching federal political censorship law ever enacted. His
opponent is Republican Tim Michels (A/NR).

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